Show 1 Ro II WAN AD SS Ro r dw cat I BEGIN HERE TODAY Fran Care Carey stenographer is upset upsel when she is followed by a tall taIl blond man Nina Markham Frans Fran's roommate roommate room room- mate laughs at Frans Fran's concern Fran admits there is certainly no logical reason for the pursuit for she ha has no wealthy relatives or influential friends While she is dancing one night nl ht she receives a note nole signed A Friend warning her not to wear the thc old old- fashioned cameo locket she has hae on The locket is one Fran found on the street and wad was valued a jeweler at about 30 When Fran received no nc replies to an ad she kept it The note puzzles her but she doesn't take lake the he message seriously until her apartment apartment apartment apart apart- ment is ransacked apparently for tor forthe the he locket since nothing is taken Fran ran promptly places the locket in ina ina a safety deposit box x The tall talI blond man is no longer I in evidence and Fran becomes interested in ins in-I in in m Ward Quentin who has opened a a real estate office oHice on the floor loor where Fran works Ward offers otters to o take toke Fran home hom one night but has hascar hascar hascar car trouble so they dine at Leons Fran sees the tall blond man a again ain and asks ks his name The waiter walter in informs in forms them that the man is ts s Christopher Christopher Christo Christo- pher Abbott a lawyer NOW GO O ON WITH TilE THE STORY CHAPTER 8 S There it was in the phone book Christopher Abbott 2427 2927 Wayne e boulevard bou- bou evard levard l Mar Ma 1670 And below Christopher Christopher Christopher Christo Christo- pher Abbott Boyer building Tr The first his home address the second second second sec sec- ond his business address Fran put aside the heavy book her er face quite solemn as she went back to a report she was typing O Of course the waiter might have made a mistake It tl was was entirely possible possible pos- pos sible fole that he had pointed out the wrong man Christopher Abbott who had lad dined with Senator Ricker at Leons Leon's last night couldn't be the man who vho had folIo wed her Couldn't She breathed the word aloud again Couldn't Must Have Double Christopher Abbott must have a double someone who looked exactly like ike him That must be the answer Yet she had seen the man so plainly plainy plain- plain ly y and he di did seem the same man Everything about him was the same I If I he had a double the double must be e an exact double Th The way he walk walked d. d th the way he carried his head a little stiffly and slightly to the left eft side th the set of ot his broad shoulders shoulders shou- shou ders h his s faceIn faceIn face In a week I 1 couldn't have forgotten forgot forgot- ten en how he looked she he murmured as she made an erasure Fifteen minutes later she look took the report to John Barkers Barker's desk and lingered there for a moment Mr Barker larker might know something about Christopher Abbott D Do you know a lawyer named Christopher Abbott Mr Barker I know of him M Miss s Carey I dont don't know him personally Why Oh no reason at all she said aid hastily I I wanted to know abo about t him Is s he is he-is is he a prominent ent lawyer I never ever have read about any of his cases ases in th Ins tha newspapers Very prominent M Miss s Carey and andery ver very ery good they say Doesn't go into court ourt much Handles mostly corpo corpo- rations I believe e Firm of Abbott Orr 8 Fielding Fielding one one of the old firms in n the city dh His father headed it until his lis death about two years ears ago She thanked him and went back backo to o her own desk but still she couldn't settle down to lo work A prominent lawyer awyer following her Following Fran Carey Care who could mean nothing to him im No it t was all wrong unless Mr Abbott had a twin brother Phones Nina Ina Mr Barker probably wouldn't know enow whether Mr Abbott had a twin lwin but jut Ninas Nina's boss would He was a law law- ye yer cr too a struggling tru young oung lawyer So o she phoned Nina Markham who had lad spent last night with her family and nd didn't know yet of the further enCOunter with the tall taIl blond man Nina promised shed she'd shed have have a it complete corn com complete com icle biography of or Mr Abbott in Hi 10 minutes because Mr Fletcher was wasn in n the office ortice but bitt it was 20 minutes before she phoned back with her Mr his Abbott had no brothers brother and certainly no twin lvin brother er One sister who was as married and living in Paris No family left in the cit city but tome some cousins both female who were also married and and had ili families Two years cars ago go he had taken laken full lull charge of ot the linn firm of Abbott Orr Fielding at t his lathers fathers death and nd was now senior partner artner War record of or two years graduate of law Jaw school at Yale bachelor bache- bache tor lor or Fran wearily said that was enough but Nina wasn't ready to hang up yet You mean to say it was Christopher Christopher Christo Christo- pher Abbott who followed you ou she asked breathless from reading off of the he notes she had had taken during her talk alk with her employer I fIr dont don't know Mr Abbott Abbot was was was' theman the theman theman man the waiter pointed out outlast last night I dont don't know what to think mistaken Fran Something's Some- Some things hing's wrong Why should Chri Christopher Christo- Christo to pher her Abbott follow you around for tor two wo days You had th the wrong man last ast night I know you ou did Why Mr Fletcher etcher says sas hes he's one of the most brilliant lawyers in town Nina Was vas inclined to put her employer employ r on a a pedestal I tell you Ou Mr Fletcher actually lowered yer d his voice when he talked about Mr Abbott It c cant can't nt b be true rue Dont Don't you ou see That was what ahat Fran was thinking loo Joo op as' as hc put down the receiver and tried ried to lo go back to work Doesn't Make Sense Sense Last night when she had ask asked d dWard Ward Quentin who th the tall blond man was she had no notion that he e j-Ii j j L l jy r yn 1 4 r. r S rw J E GJ I t i t tz 1 o y l E. E t 11 t f lr rE I i r. r it The man opened a door and said Miss Simmons Miss Carey to sec Mr Abbott would know Sh She had asked because e eshe she had to Even when he called the waiter and inquired she didn't expect the waiter to know Then wh when n the waiter wait wait- er had answered and so quickly and had mentioned Senator Ricker as Mr Abbotts Abbott's host Well it didn't make mak sense that was all No matter which wa way she she- turned it iL over it-over over in jn her mind it didn't make sens sens Th The message message message mes mes- sage about the locket and Christopher Christopher Christopher Christo Christo- pher Abbott Abbatt didn't fit into inlo any pat pat- tern She wished she could stop thinking thinking thinking think think- ing about the locket and Mr Abbott but she couldn't First the one crept into inlo her thoughts and then the other until her head was spinning and there was a dull ache above her left temple At noon however she had determined determined determined deter deter- mined what she was going to do If IC Mr Abbott was the man who had followed her for two days she had a right to know why Now that she knew his name he she was going to lo go golo goto goto to lo him and ask k There was nothing wrong about that She was entitled to some explanation explanation ex ex- ex of or both his pursuit of her herand herand herand and the n note t h he had put under her plate plat at the Blo Blossom som room She still stin had the note but she didn't carry it around with her any more It was lying in the top lop left drawer of or the dressing table in jn the apartment apartment apart apart- ment under her gloves glo Last night after alter Ward had taken her home she got it ou again and looked at it il but it told her nothing new The Thc words word were the same the writing the same the mystery of It t unsolved Martha asked her to go out to lunch but Fran refused If Ie she were to catch Mr l Abbott in his office e she had to hurry Lawyers she knew usually closed their offices Saturday afternoons at one The Boyer building w was s five blocks away from the Eiler Eiter building but Fran walked quickly and was entering entering enter enter- in ing the lobb lobby at It 15 minutes after 12 she found round the office Under the As A of oC Abbot Abbott Ocr Orr Fielding was on the fifth floor Joor A half hal dozen people were waiting In the thc big comfortable reception room but Fran went right up to the railing behind which was the switchboard switchboard switch switch- board and several desks Id like to see Mr Abbott she he said quietly to the girl cirl at al the switchboard switch switch- boa board rd Have you ou an appointment No uNo 1 I haven't but I must see him him OJ The girl looked dubious He lie doesn't make appointments for lor Saturday aft act Hes He's due to leave in a little while What's What the name and Ill I'll buzz buu his hi secretary Frances Frnnces Carey Sh She stood by the board and saw V the girl irl plu plug into inlo the board and heard her say sa to an unknown unknown un un- un- un known person somewhere in the great suite of or offices A Frances Carey Carey Carey Ca Ca- rey wants to see Mr Abbott Miss Simmons There was a pau pause c and the phone girl nodded and turned to lo Fran Shell see Wh Why dont don't you sit down while youre you're waiting wailing Fran shook her head She didn't want to sit do down m. m She wanted to stay right beside the switchboard It If Mr Abbott wasn't the man who had fol fol- followed followed followed lowed her had left the note for tor her heri then he hc wouldn't know the name Frances Carey from the man in the moon and he probably wouldn't sec c cI I I her If he was the man man but but she sh frowned at that He couldn't be the thc man There was a mistake She found herself trembling slightly slight slightly ly as she leaned against the railing Mr l Abbott was taking a long time making up his mind whether he would see sec her Or perhaps he was busy and his secretary couldn't give him the message She glanced at the clock above the 1230 1230 now A red light showed on the bo board rd and the phone girl irl plug plugged ed in a again ain listened and said O 0 0 K Miss Sim Sim- mons Mr Mt 11 1 Abbott cant can't see you Miss l Carey Sorry Fran n Decides to Co o Stay Slay Sta Fran was about to step away when sine she thought better of or it t She had hild come here to lo see sec Christopher Abbott and she was going to se see him if it sh she had to waylay him at the elevators Will you please call Mr Abbotts Abbott's secretary back and have her give him I another message 1 Tell Ten her to t Il Mr Abbott that ML Miss s Carey Care must see sel him That 11 if he hc wont won't see sec her in his office sh she Is Is 13 going to sec ce him anyway anyway- somewhere A flicker of annoyance quivered over the phone girls girl's face but she he nodded st stiffly n and got t l Miss s Simmons once more Fran heard her relay the message measured the pause between the message menage and the long silence that followed M Miss MUs Es Simmons Simm-ons was apparently consulting Mr Abbott again Mr Abbott w will see ee you I 1 Miss s Carey Ca Ca- re rey John th the girl called to a young oung man sitting silling at one of the desks behind behind behind be be- hind her John take lake Miss ML'S Carey into Mr r AbboU's Abbotts office will you rou Fran smiled to herself as a. she followed followed fol fol- lowed l ed the youth through a long cor- cor around a corner and slopped stopped back of or him be before belore fore a door which did not even have a name lettered on it The man opened the do door r and said Miss 1 SimmOns ns' ns Mi M Miss Carey Care to see Mr Abbott Then en Fran was in the thc care car caren or of Miss l c Simmons until Miss Mis Simmons opened n another door also abo unlettered and announced MUs Care Carey Carcy- Mr i Abbott To b be continued u Copyright Register and Tribune Syndicate |